Tara Reade, who in 2020 accused President Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993 during her tenure as one of his Senate staffers, has now filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice.
The lawsuit alleges misconduct against her, claiming that an "FBI operation" was conducted to discredit her following her accusations against Biden. Reade is seeking $10 million in damages for "infliction of emotional distress," among other claims in the tort action.
The tort claim asserts that Reade's Fourth Amendment rights were violated, along with violations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and state privacy laws. A grand jury subpoena issued in July 2020 to Twitter by the US District Court for the Eastern District of California, demanding all records related to Reade's Twitter accounts, was included in the tort claim.
The lawsuit further alleges several instances of misconduct by the FBI, attributing suspicious events such as disruptions in her bank accounts and the disappearance of a manuscript of her book from a FedEx shipment in November 2020, which further detailed her claims against Biden, to the Bureau.
Reade's attorney, in a pointed reference to the E. Jean Carroll case against former President Donald Trump, stated, "The United States should not have a two-tiered justice system." He continued, "If President Trump and Mr. Giuliani can be assessed tens of millions in damages for their words; a weaponized FBI that seeks to silence, intimidate and eliminate Joe Bidens victim, Tara Reade, must also be held accountable; failing to do so means our justice and legal system has become an instrument of political oppression and suppression."
Given the FBI's track record over the past few years, and historically, what might have once been hard to believe may not be so anymore. The Bureau's conduct has been so questionable that it warrants a full review when the new Republican president takes office in January 2025.
Reade's predicament stems from the fact that she accused a Democrat, and not just any Democrat, but one with the "D" protection and who is crucial to the party's hold on power. Had she accused Trump, she might have been able to make all sorts of outrageous claims and still come out on top.
However, when the accused is Joe Biden, the media suddenly loses interest in the story, or attempts to downplay it. This lawsuit is unlikely to receive the same level of attention as the E. Jean Carroll case, and may even be dismissed outright. It is also unlikely that Reade will appear on Rachel Maddow's show to "joke" about her potential shopping spree following a defamation suit victory.
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